The history of psychology is utterly fascinating. For those who know only basics and generalities (or misunderstood stereotypes) there is mass appeal. Coincidentally, my interest in pscyhology with an interest in conformity. Director Michael Almereyda takes a dive into one of social psychology’s most fascinating studies in his latest film, Experimenter.
This film follows both the personal and professional life of famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram. Peter Sarsgaard delivers an fabulous, performance which captured the seemingly warped character of the determined researcher. The plot centers in on Milgram’s most distinguished, albeit controversial studies. This, of course, is the obedience to authority research in the early 1960s. What stands out is not the results of the research, but rather the way it unfolds.
The creativity Milgram utilized in his research design is nearly unparalleled. We see textbook use of a confederate (a “participant” who pretends to be unaware of the research, but is actually an insider in the study). Jim Gaffigan effortlessly plays this confederate, who’s purpose is to receive an electric shock (not actually delivered) when making an incorrect response on a memory test. The one who delivers the faux shock asks the questions, and is utterly oblivious. A man in a white coat, acting in an authoritative role, insists the participant continue to deliver shocks. And guess what? Not only do they continue, but they up the voltage even as the confederate shouts in pain, begging to discontinue.
The struggle of each participant in the study is noted by Milgram behind a double-sided mirror. The cognitive dissonance these participants must have endured is sweat-inducing. There is quite literally nothing more discomforting than being told to do something you do not wish to do.
Seeing how Milgram’s life was shaped by his research was nearly as much a treat for me as the intimate look into several of his infamous studies. His interest in conformity took root in the conformity within Nazi Germany. He took this interest to Yale, Harvard, and New York, where he meets his eventual wife Sasha (Winona Ryder). There is a certain level of sadness as we bear witness to a passion nearly consume Milgram whole, and criticism regarding the ethics of his experiments are interrogated to the point of near exhaustion.
Experimenter is a simple film of a complex man. One of its biggest strengths was the ability to capture true uncertainty of the participants. Many familiar faces are seen in this role, the strongest of which was by the late Anton Yelchin. Milgram’s frequent breaking of the fourth wall was key in bringing in the viewer, particularly those who may have felt a sense of confusion to the purpose of the research at hand. Most importantly, however, the legacy of Stanley Milgram is appropriately chronicled by the performance of Peter Sarsgaard. Despite a leisurely pace without any serious high or low moments, Experimenter appeals to a wide-range of audiences.
3/4
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Double Feature Film Reviews 